MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/: Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Khalifa Haftar, who left Moscow early on Tuesday without signing a ceasefire deal with the the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj, said the proposed document ignored some of LNA’s demands.
"The draft [agreement] ignores many of the Libyan army’s demands," the Al Arabiya TV channel quoted him as saying.
Sky News Arabia earlier reported that during the indirect talks in Moscow, Haftar insisted on allowing his troops to enter Tripoli and on forming a national unity government that would receive a vote of confidence from the Tobruk-based parliament. The field marshal also called for international monitoring of ceasefire without Turkey’s participation and demanded immediate withdrawal of mercenaries "who arrived from Syria and Turkey."
At the same time, Sarraj wanted Haftar’s forces to retreat to positions they had occupied before April 4, 2019, when LNA announced it was advancing towards the country’s capital city. He also insisted on retaining the post of the supreme commander-in-chief of the Libyan armed forces. According to the channel’s sources, those demands became the main bone of contention for the sides during their talks in Moscow.
A ceasefire took effect in Libya at midnight on January 12 within the framework of a joint initiative proposed by the Russian and Turkish presidents. Delegations of the sides arrived in Moscow on January 13 for talks, after which Sarraj and Chairman of the High Council of State Khaled al-Mishri signed a draft document on the settlement in the country, while Haftar took a pause until Tuesday morning.
